Henry beamont watson



Patented July l9, I898.

H. B. WATSON.

APPLIANCE FOR SUPPORTING BOOKS, PAPERS. OR OTHER ARTICLES.

(Application 111ml Feb. 14,1898.)

{No Model.)

THE Nonms PErERs no. PNO'YO-LITHQ,

UNITED STATES AT-ENT FFICE.

HENRY BEAMONT \VATSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPLIANCE FOR SUPPORTING BOOKS, PAPERS, OR OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 607,496, dated July 19, 1898.

Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670,242. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY BEAMONT WAT- SON, residing at 489 Oxford street, London, England, have invented a new and Improved Appliance for Supporting Books, Papers, or other Articles, of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved appliance for supporting books, papers, and other articles. It is applicable as a book or newspaper holder, music-stand, sketching-easel, waiters tray, peddlers tray, writing-table, refreshment-table for invalids, holding shorthand writers note-books, and for any analogous purposes, the object being to leave the users hands free. I attain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an isometrical and Fig. 2 a side view of the complete appliance, and Fig. 3 a

while the free ends hang down in front of him.

The free ends are connected bya cross-wire b, passing from one to the other, a, a, and I) thus forming a frame. The wire I) may be a portion of that forming a a. Sliding on each of the side wires of this frame is a tube 0, which can be kept at any required position by a setscrew, rack and pinion, by spring-catch dand rack e, or by other means. To the sliding tubes 0 are hinged at o the opposite lower corners of a table f, on which to rest a book or other article or articles. The table f has a raised ledge g to prevent articles slipping oif. There is a rack hbehind f, and into the teeth of It can be placed the outer-side of a wire frame a, suitably hinged to b. A second frame j is also hinged to b and may have a curved portion 70. By sliding tubes 0 up and down the height of the table f may be adjusted, and by putting the side of the frame 71 into a suitable tooth of h the inclination of f can be varied, and by causing the curved part 7c of j to rest against the person the I) end of the frame an I) can be pushed out, thus affording further means of regulating the angle of the whole appliance. To fare hinged at Z and m the frames at and 0, which can be opened out, as shown by the dotted lines, so as to increase the width of f. n and 0 can be kept at an angle, if required, by raising the small catches p, hinged to the downturned edge q. Sliding clips 7" are provided for keeping in place the paper or other article on f. At sis a hinged lid shutting down with a snap-fastener and covering a box provided below f for containing tobacco. At one of the upper corners of f is a similarlyhinged lid t,coverin g a boX to contain matches, and at u is a similar lid covering a box to receive tobacco-ash, which can be let out of the box bya sliding or other lid at the back. A friction-surface 12 may be provided on which to strike a match. Rule-joint hinges may be provided at w, so that a can be folded down behind f,.and tubes as can be provided for slipping over to to keep the joint from shutting up when in use. The boxes .9, t, and u can of course be devoted to other uses than those mentioned, according to the requirements of the user.

The appliance can be shut up when not in use by sliding 0 toward 6, shutting f against a, shutting g and j against f, and folding down a.

Wood, vulcanite, or any other suitable substances or combination of them can be used Wherever they can be appropriately employed in making the appliance."

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- I Inan improved appliance for supporting books, papers, and other articles, the frame a a 5, having the curved part a; the tubes 0; the hinged table f having the rack 71. and the downturned edge q and upstanding ledge g, and boxes covered by lids u t s; the hinged frames 1' and j, n and 0; the rack e and springcatch d; the catches p; the lids a t s; the

rule-joints w and the tubes 00, the whole substantially as described and shown.

HENRY BEAMONT WATSON.

Witnesses:

HENRY DENIs Hosnnvs, ERNEST ALFRED MERCER. 

